Idris Elahi sat silently in this morning as a state prosecutor played a slideshow of photos of , the man Elahi was charged with killing in 2010.
The court sentenced Elahi to 35 years in prison, confirming a on Feb. 22. Elahi agreed to enter an Alford plea to a charge of murder and serve 35 years with no possibility of a suspended sentence. An Alford plea does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the state would be likely to prevail at trial.
Elahi, 19, is one of six men accused of involvement in killing Chew, 25, in October of 2010. According to police, some of the defendants told police they were bored and decided to go downtown to assault someone. Chew was walking from , where he worked as a chef, to his apartment when he was stabbed on Huntington Street. He later died at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Judge Patrick J. Clifford, in delivering the sentence, said he considered the murder a “cowardly act” and a “particularly uncivilized, savage, and sadistic homicide.”
Police have also charged 18-year-old Marquis Singleton with murder. Co-defendant Tyree Bundy, 19, is charged with accessory to murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The state has charged Matias Perry, 19; Rashad Perry, 19 (no relation); and Brian Rabell, 20, with accessory to murder.
“Pure evil”
Chew’s parents addressed Judge Patrick J. Clifford before the sentencing, saying the murder has been in their thoughts every day. Marilyn Chew, Matthew’s mother, was in tears as she said she will miss her son’s sense of humor and devotion to his friends.
“I just don’t understand the minds of those who would go stalking and hunting at night for someone to beat up and injure,” she said.
Marilyn said the family’s vacations and holiday get-togethers are now marked by a sense of loss and sadness. She said some friends have distanced themselves because they are not sure what to say to her, and that she has had trouble sleeping. Marilyn said she did not think 35 years in prison is a sufficient punishment for Elahi.
“What he did was a horrible thing, and he needs to suffer for all the pain he’s caused,” she said.
Matthew’s father, Richard Chew, wore a tie designed by Matthew’s girlfriend, Lindsay Krodel, featuring his son’s artwork. Richard said the family has received a “life sentence” in that their loss is a permanent one. He said he initially tried to understand his son’s death, but found this to be futile.
“I’m left with the concept that there really is pure evil in the world, and it’s a closer concept than I could have ever imagined,” said Richard.
Laura Lonardelli, Krodel’s mother, spoke on behalf of her daughter. Lonardelli said the murder left Krodel’s life “shattered.”
“The moment you took a weapon into your hand, you started down the road to perdition,” Lonardelli told Elahi. “And you’re going to be traveling it for a very long time.”
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Carney said the 35-year sentence aims to be a significant punishment and serve as a deterrent against similar crimes. He also said the homicide had a serious detrimental effect on the city as a whole, as people were afraid to go out at night or to visit New London after Chew was killed.
“This defendant and his friends cost the city an important part of what it’s trying to be,” said Carney.
“You’re not alone in this”
Elahi’s parents also addressed the court. Damita Elahi, Idris’ mother, sobbed as she apologized to the Chew family for their loss. She said she has also thought constantly about the murder.
“I just want to the family to know that they have been in my thoughts and prayers continuously,” she said.
Damita said she would urge young people to think before acting. She said her family has also been suffering and considers that they have lost their son, as she expects she will not be alive when he is released from prison.
“I love him and I’m going to be there for him,” said Damita. “But you have to know, you’re not alone in this.”
Muneer Elahi, Idris’ father, agreed that both families have experienced the loss of a loved one.
“I would just like to ask both parties in this event that we don’t allow ourselves to be crippled, we don’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed, and we don’t allow ourselves to lose faith in humanity and the good of mankind,” said Muneer.
Elahi chose not to make a statement to the court. His attorney, Bruce McIntyre, said the plea agreement was acceptable.
Circumstances of the murder
Bundy, Rabell, and Singleton testified about the incident at Elahi’s in February of 2011. The co-defendants said they want to Elahi’s house on Oct. 29, 2010 and decided to assault a random person after they became bored. Rabell and Singleton said Rashad dared Elahi to stab someone and that the two started to make an oath before Rabell and Bundy stopped them.
The co-defendants said they went downtown in the area of the Crocker House and left because there were too many people in the area. They said they also followed another person in the area of Washington Street but stopped when he got into his car. They said they attacked Chew, who was walking from his job to his Washington Street apartment, after Matias asked him for a cigarette lighter.
Rabell said he saw what he thought was Elahi punching Chew in the stomach, but that Bundy later told him Elahi had stabbed Chew. Singleton said he saw Elahi take a knife when he left the house, and Bundy said Elahi tried to give him a folding knife after the attack.
Chew was stabbed six times and suffered two cuts to the face. He started to return to 2 Wives Pizza but collapsed near the restaurant, where a passerby stopped to help and called 911. Chew was taken to and later to the trauma center at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Chew died of his injuries there in the early morning hours of Oct. 30.
According to a police affidavit, several witnesses also said that Elahi’s co-defendants told them that Elahi was involved in the murder. One witness said Elahi told her he cut Chew and gave the knife to Singleton. Another woman said Bundy told her that Elahi was aggressive and continued to attack Chew after the other men backed off.
An “especially senseless, tragic attack”
Clifford said he has never overseen a homicide such as Chew’s. He said a pre-sentencing report on Elahi made mention of some aggression and expulsion from school, but that there were no signs that Elahi might commit murder. He said that while the killer often knows a victim in murder cases and this gives some sense of why a homicide took place, there was no such motive in this case. Clifford also said both the Elahi and Chew famililes have hardworking parents and other children who have been successful.
“This is an especially tragic, senseless attack on an innocent victim,” said Clifford.
Clifford described the actions of the six men as “hunting for prey” and said he was disappointed that no one in the group stepped up to prevent the assault from escalating. He said there was no indication that the group had decided to kill someone, but only a loose agreement to go downtown and hurt someone. He said he thought that Elahi was acting on his own initiative and stabbed Chew.
Clifford said he did not expect that the sentence would satisfy Chew’s family, but felt that it was appropriate.
“They’re going to suffer every day in their own personal prison that you put them in,” Clifford told Elahi.
It is expected that the state will begin to make plea offers for Elahi’s co-defendants now that Elahi has been sentenced. Rabell will be the first to make a court appearance on Tuesday, followed by Rashad on May 31, Matias on June 1, Singleton on June 8, and Bundy on June 12.
Chew’s memory
Chew’s parents now reside in California but formerly lived in Gale’s Ferry. Chew was born in Japan and grew up in Ledyard, graduating from Ledyard High School in 2003. In addition to his work at 2 Wives Pizza, he appeared as a disc jockey at several local clubs and did painting in spare time. At the time of his death, he was hoping to attend college to pursue a career in the arts.
Richard and Marilyn said they appreciated the efforts that began after Chew’s death to bring the community together and memorialize Chew. These include an and the , which is managed by the and awarded each year to a person pursuing higher education in the arts. At 2 Wives Pizza, a dollar from every 14-inch pear and gorgonzola pizza—a dish created by Chew—goes toward the scholarship.
Chew’s parents said they also appreciated the work of investigators as well as the words of Elahi’s parents.
“There’s so many things we just don’t understand,” said Marilyn.
Original breaking news:
The New London Superior Court has handed down the first sentence in the 2010 murder of a man whom police say was a victim of a random attack.
Idris Elahi, 19, of Home Street, will spend 35 years in prison with no possibility of a suspension in the sentence. Elahi is one of six men accused of killing 25-year-old Matthew Chew on Oct. 30, 2010.
According to police, some of the defendants told police they were bored and decided to go downtown to assault someone. Chew was walking from 2 Wives Pizza, where he worked as a chef, to his apartment when he was stabbed on Huntington Street. He later died at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
The parents of both Chew and Elahi spoke at the sentencing. Judge Patrick J. Clifford described the murder as "an especially tragic, senseless attack on an innocent victim."
Elahi agreed on Feb. 22 to change his not guilty plea to an Alford plea to a charge of murder. An Alford plea does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the state would be likely to prevail at trial.
Police have also charged 18-year-old Marquis Singleton with murder. Co-defendant Tyree Bundy, 19, is charged with accessory to murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The state has charged Matias Perry, 19; Rashad Perry, 19 (no relation); and Brian Rabell, 20, with accessory to murder.
A full story will be posted shortly.
